Parkinson’s - CBD (Cannabidiol) Health Benefits

Evidence suggests that CBD (Cannabidiol) could potentially slow the progression of Parkinson’s …

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that affects the brain and gets worse over time, there's currently no cure for Parkinson's and we don't yet know why people get the condition.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:

Tremor. A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers
Slowed movement (bradykinesia)
Rigid muscles
Impaired posture and balance
Loss of automatic movements
Slurred speech

CBD Can Help Kick Start Recovery….

Psychosis Relief With CBD

CBD cannot cure Parkinson’s but it can help the patient to start a successful period of recovery (https://www.parkinsonsrecovery.com/cbd) by alleviating some of the more uncomfortable symptoms such as lack of energy, lack of focus and lack of motivation.
In unison with standard Parkinson’s therapies some psychotic symptoms evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire showed a significant decrease under CBD treatment. (Read more about this study...)

Parasomnia Relief With CBD

One particular symptom that disturbs the sleep of Parkinson patients is the rapid eye movement parasomnia which is characterized by the loss of muscle atonia during REM. In a recent study CBD has shown that has the ability to alleviate this symptom in some patients allowing them to get a good night's sleep.

Tremor Alleviation With CBD

One of the most common symptoms of early Parkinson’s disease are body tremors, these tremors can be slight or major and are called resting tremors as they tend to disappear when the patient moves. However as Parkinson’s gets worse over time so does the shaking. One way to alleviate it is through ‘Deep Brain Stimulation DBS’ However CBD has been shown to provide as much relief from tremor symptoms as DBS - (see video below...).

Pain Relief With CBD

Parkinson’s disease can and does cause pain, the levels of pain experienced by PD patients ranges from mild to severe. Pain associated with Parkinson’s disease varies widely from patient to patient but most common types are aching or burning pain from muscles or skeleton, sharp pain from a nerve or nerve root, numbness or “pins and needles” pain also radiating from a nerve or nerve root, pulsing or aching pain that results from tightness or ongoing twisting and writhing movements (dyskinesia), restlessness caused from akathisia, and sudden, sharp burning pain that occurs for no known reason. There a wide range of medications the medical community prescribes however here we are solely looking at the effects of CBD as a pain relief for PD patients.

“Cannabis improved motor scores and pain symptoms in PD patients, together with a dissociative effect on heat and cold pain thresholds. Peripheral and central pathways are probably modulated by cannabis”.

CBD has also demonstrated its ability to support the health of neural cells mitochondria, causing researchers to conclude that CBD should be considered as a potential therapeutic option in neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s because of its neuroprotective properties (da Silva, et al., 2014) (Zuardi, 2008).

Watch a video of a Parkinson’s patient who had DBS but also uses CBD and you can watch the tremors actually disappear!

Conclusion

All the recent studies and evidence have shown that CBD (Cannabidiol) is an effective aid for patients suffering from early and mid Parkinson’s disease. Not only does CBD offer pain relief but also aids with other Parkinson’s symptoms such as tremors, psychosis, parasomnia and more. Although CBD is not a cure for Parkinson’s Disease it is a very powerful aid for recovery.

CBD Specifics

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of at least 113 active cannabinoids identified in the cannabis plant. It is a major phytocannabinoid, accounting for up to 40% of the plant's extract.